He introduces himself. "Ilay Ivanovich."
"Iris Antonova," I reply, holding his gaze. We shake hands, and my heart starts racing. He's exactly my type, not that I'm about to say that out loud. There's just something about scary-looking men that gets to me, but I still can't figure out what this man is doing with Senator Ivanov.
Ilay smiles, and says, "I've heard a lot about you."
"Oh? I hope it's only good things," I say, raising a brow.
He chuckles. It's almost dangerous how good it sounds. Any girl listening could lose her mind over it. I actually catch myself thinking if it's possible to get off just from hearing a man's chuckle on repeat.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Senator Ivanov's veins popping. Ilay, completely unbothered, reaches his free hand into his pocket and pulls out a black business card. He hands it to me, and I awkwardly take it with my free hand, trying to pull my other hand away. He just keeps staring, his blue eyes almost sparkling, a wide grin spread across his face.
"Mr. Ivanovich, do you have a habit of holding on to strangers?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "I believe a handshake should only last six seconds. Yours is pushing forty."
He apologizes with a small laugh and finally lets go. “You can call me Ilay by the way.”
“Mmm,” I bend down and reach into my bag, pulling out my own business card and handing it to him. I try to keep my tone professional so I don't sound like a con artist. "Sir, if you ever need a lawyer for a bargain, I'd be happy to take your case. As you can see—" I gesture to the senator—"I'm not afraid to go up against a fat mountain. If you need my services, call."
He glances down at the card, then back at me. "Is this your personal number?"
I shake my head. "No, it's a business line."
He hands the card back to me, his grin unfading. "No, I'd prefer to communicate through your personal number."
"Tough luck," I say, pocketing the card again. "I don't give my personal numbers to strangers."
He shrugs. "Strangers don't meet twice. We've now met twice. So, I don't count as a stranger anymore, do I?"
Is he genuinely trying to annoy me, or is he just this illogical? I refuse to keep up the banter, so I step back.
That's when Senator Ivanov finally explodes. "Get out of my office or I'm calling the police!"
I glance at Tessa. She gives the senator a smug look and says, "Pig, make sure to pay up. If not, the police won't just come for us, you'll be dropping the soap in prison right next to us."
With that, we both turn and leave, not looking back.
Back in the lobby, Tessa gives me a look and nudges my arm. "Hey babe, why did you talk to that man for so long? From what I can tell, he's no lackey. He looked pretty dangerous."
I shrug. "Sometimes fire is good for getting rid of ticks."
She rolls her eyes. "Stop with the deep talk, that makes no sense."
Annoyed, I retort, "Look, he obviously has ties to that pig in there, and we need to move smart. Didn't you see the senator get scared the second Ilay started talking?"
Tessa narrows her eyes. "So, what, you're planning to use him?"
I give her a small smile. "Maybe, maybe not. He seemed interested, and men like that—well, their attraction doesn't last long. I take what I can, when I can. What I need right now is a big presence behind me to win this case."
She stares at me. "Then why the hell didn't you give him your personal number, genius?"
"Shit, you're right," I mutter, suddenly embarrassed. "Is it too awkward if I go back now? I was running on adrenaline."
She shakes her head and laughs. "Just message him with your personal number, then reel him in."
We walk out of the senator's building and go our separate ways. She has a meeting with her group—they're going on a rally out of town for two months, so I won't see her for a while. My friend is honestly too good for this world, but she gets results, and people trust her.
After we part ways, I head to the train station, deciding to treat myself to cake and ice cream uptown. I deserve it.
Chapter 3
